Pile loom construction



Jan. 12, 1937. .1. LOWRIE PILE LOOM CONSTRUCTION 6 Sheets-Sheetl Filed May 6, 1955 I INVENTOR (75/1/11 L OWR/E BY ATTORNEYS Jan. 12, 1937.

J. LOWRIE PILE LOOM CONSTRUCTION Filed May 6, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR L/Zfl/V L 0 W/P/E ATTORNEYS Jan. 12, 1937.

FILE LOOM CONSTRUCTION Filed May v6, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR 0'//A/ L 0 w/ws I BY w 7M ATTORNEYS J. LOWRIE 2,067,574-

Jan. 12, 1937. J LQWRIE 2,067,574

PILE LOOM CONSTRUCTION Filed May 6, 1935 e sheet-sneet 4 INVENTOR OH/V LOWE/E ATTORN EYS Jan. 12, J. LOWRIE 2,067,574

FILE LOOM CONSTRUCTION Filed May 6, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 igl a-v- Z8 7 7/ INVENTO BY LJH/V OW/PIE ATTORNEYS J. LOWRIE Jan. 12, 1937.

PILE LOOM CONSTRUCTION Filed May 6, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR BY LT H/v Lowe/5 ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 12, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PILE LOOM CONSTRUCTION John Lowrie, Thompsonville, Conn.

Application May 6, 1935, Serial No. 19,967

Claims. (01. 139-47) This invention relates to improvements in that type of loom construction used for making pile fabrics such as pile carpets.

Loom structure for this purpose is generally well known. My improvements are directed to the means and mode of operation for making the loops in the pile threads, in cutting the loops to form the pile, and in arranging these means for more eflicient and convenient operation. An additional feature of improvement is in the devices I provide for convenient adjustment of the parts to different sizes of loops and difierent arrangements of pile warp thread manipulation.

I will disclose only such parts of the loom as may be needed to make my improvements clear to one skilled in the art. The way in which my improved means are mounted in the loom structure and related to the weaving operation is shown in the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a detail view with parts in section, of enough loom mechanism to show the place and arrangement of my improved means in the loom. In this view I have shown a few warp threads on their way through the loom parts, to the woven product;

Fig. 2 is a detail view to show relative positions of a pile warp thread and loom parts to help form a loop;

Fig. 3 is a view looking from line 33 to Fig. 2;

Figs. 4 and 5 are views similar to Fig. 3 but with the pile thread in different positions in the loop forming operation;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but with the parts in still different positions;

Fig. 7 is a vertical plan of a guard frame construction for guiding pile warp threads in the loop-forming operations. but with many parts of this construction cut away, to avoid showing too much duplication of identical parts;

Figs. 8 and 9 are detail views showing identical parts of Fig. 7 in side elevation but in diiferent positions with relation to other parts not shown in Fig. '7, all of which are involved in the desired looping manipulationof a' pile warp thread, the latter and its positions being also shown in these detail views;

Fig. 10 is a rear view of one of the duplicated elements that are shown mounted in the assembly of Fig. 7;

Figs. 11 and 12 are side and top views of an assembly to serve as pile wires in the loom;

Fig. 13 shows the pile wire of Fig. 11 with an adjusting piece added to make a deeper pile on the fabric;

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the adjusting piece or insert for the wire of Fig. 13;

Figs. 15 and 16 are views of parts used in the assembly of one type of pile wire;

Fig. 17 shows a difierent type of adjusting piece;

Fig. 18 illustrates how the pile wire "is adjusted by inserting the part of Fig. 17;

Fig. 19 shows a part of the body of a difierent pile wire;

Figs. 20 and 21 are side and top views of part of a pile wire which is added to the head part of Fig. 19 to form the finger portion of the pile wire;

Fig. 22 is a perspective view of an adjusting piece to be used to increase the size of the loops formed on the pile wire;

Fig. 23 shows a pile wire formed by using the parts of Figs. 19, 20, and 22;

Fig. 24 shows the position of the circular cuttcr used to cut. the loops of the pile warp threads; d

Fig. 25 is a view taken on line 25-45 of Fig. 23, showing how the tip of the wire may be bent to insure correct cooperation of the wire with the guard;

Fig. 26 is a modified form of the part of Fig. 25;

Fig. 27 is a view on line Tl-21 of Fig. 24 showing the shape of the tip of the wire;

Fig. 28 is a modified form of the part of Fig. 2'7;

Fig. 29 is a diagrammatic view to indicate how another type of looping is obtained; and

Fig. 30 indicates the mechanism used to reciprocate the grate frame of Fig. '7.

The general plan for weaving pile carpet, and in using my invention, can be seen from Fig. 1. The warp cords or threads, indicated by l, 2, 1, and 8, are raised and lowered. The weft thread I! is passed transversely in front of the beater 6. The pile warp threads are looped around flattended pile wires such as I3. The loops are cut by circular knives such as H]. And woven pile fabric is taken up by spiked wheel l8, at the front of the machine.

One of the principal features of my invention is the means and mode of operation for looping the pile warp threads on the pile wires l3. Take the thread 1 as an example and follow it through the parts of Fig. 1. This thread is raised and lowered by the eye 9 in lifting cord H weighted by weight 15 at the bottom, the cord H being controlled by usual loom means such as the jacquard mechanism. When thread 1 is wanted to form loops it is raised to the position of Fig.

1. If it is not wanted to form loops it is lowered in the position corresponding to thread 8, where it will simply run into the ground warp of the carpet. From the elevated position of Fig. 1, the thread 1 passes between sheet metal bars of a vertical grate held in frame 26. The thread slants downwardly and gradually passes across the side of the flattened pile wire I3 and ties into the body of the carpet at a weft thread as indicated. -Th'e pile. wirel3, in the form shown, has a portion ridingon the carpet under and back of circular knife I9 for a short distance and then a suspended portion extending with v at;- long upwardly slanting sweep so that a. free .end of the wire is located between sheet metal "bars in Referringnow to Figs. 2 to 6, I will explain in detail the operations involved in the making of the grate of frame 26.

With the parts arranged gene 1, the frame 26 is reciprocated'verticallyi this movement cams on the sides of thesheet metal grate bars 2| adjacent thread 1, cam the cord first to the right and then to the left of pile wire l3} The-eye 9 is also raised and lowered to move thread "Lfirstaboveand then below pile Wire l3. The combination of these movements acts to wind the thread inloops upon the wire. These looping operations will be further explained-in connection with the detail views. It is enough at this point to understandthe result of the-intendedoperations. Thisresultis the looping of the thread I on pile wire l3 as such thread moves through the grate bar in the weaving operation.

It will be understood without specific illustrationfjthat the grate-bar frame 26' extends transversely 'of 'the loorn'over the desired width for the woven product. I The grate bars 2|, which a will be further explained indetail, are closely packed in the frame-and make a vertical comblike arrangement "(a part of whichis seen in Fig. through which the warp threads or cords pass. Thereis a flattened pile wire i3 for each adjacent pair of' grate bars and a rotary loop cutting knife IQ for each pile wire l3 arranged in a. seriestransverselyof' the loom;

Back of the grate bar frame 26 there are the usual series ofeyes 3-'and' 4"'tomanipulate the ground warp cords byheddles 5 to time the separation-of the warp for-the passage of the weft cords. h

I have merely indicated, by eyes 9 and I0 and the vertical connections II and 12 with weights l5-'and l 6', the usual type'of' jacquard manipulating means for the pile warp threads. It will be understood that my'loom isarranged to carry any desired arrangement of pile'warp threads forpatternand color weaving, by duplicating eyes 9 and I0 in staggered and transverse relation across the loom and connecting them to the usual pattern'liftin'g mechanism to place the'desired pile threadsin position for loop forming purposes. For example, a set of eyes like 9 may be arranged; for-alignment with each pair of rate'barsl; Each-such eye may carry one or more pile threads all of one or of different colors, or'each eye may carry only one thread.

;'rhe variety of arrangement and manipulation of pile threads-for'patternmaking purposes in weaving is sowellknown that- I' hardly need to illustrate the subject beyond mentioning that my loom arrangement intended to include all these-customary parts-which I have not shown in the drawings. In my caseI use the usual jacquard pattern making mechanism not only to -makethe pattern but also to move the loop making threads such'asl in-proper timed relapointed out in a general way, I will now describe 'i'n;much more detail the preferred form of de- I vices andtheir operation in the use of my invention;

the loops in the'pil'e Warp threads. At the start of the loop. the thread 1 is lifted by the jacquard mechanism and passes upwardly to the leftof the pile wire IEQ'bei'ng in a position indicated by a in Figs. 2 and 3, the threadbeing parallel to the fiat side of the wirel'l3 The thread 1 then passes over the wire Hi to the position b of Fig. 4, and then down to the dotted position 0. -When thethrea'd "I is next moved to position e of Figs. 4 and 5; a shot of 'weft H is thrown through and the-beater 6' moves to the dotted position (see Fig. 6) and returns; forming a. tight loop around the wire l3, two of such loops being shown at the right in Fig-6.- The thread! then returns to its original position a of Fig. 2. It will be understood that for the sake of simplicity in explanation the ground warp threads and rema'inder of the pile warp'threads are not shown in these views. It should be understood that in the above loop fofining operations, the thread 1 is elevated and lowered first above and then below the end of" pile wire l3 by the jacquard mechanism and the thread is moved over and under the wire by movement of the frame 26 Fig. 1 in conjunction with the wire I 3-. The

grate 5'A consists of a series of grate-bars}! fastened to the frame 26- by means of bolts 21 which secure the bars 28 passing through eyes 29 (see Fig. 1) of'the grate-bars 2|."

Each grate-bar 2| consists of two thin. metal strips 30-and 3| which are overlapped and secured together; forming the shoulders 32' and 33 (see Fig. 7). To these strips 30- and 3| is riveteda one-piece guard member 33A forming the shields 34 and 35-. The rivets 3B serve as spacers between successive grate-bars 2| in the grate 5A-.

The guard member 33-A consists of a piece of sheet metal of the same gauge and of the same width as strips 32 and 33 for part of its'length. Near'the middle, the strip of the guard member is widened out to-nearly double width and a notch 31 out, see Figs. 8" and 9. The metal is then sprung laterally in each direction from the axis of themetal' strip, forming theshields 34 bar during part of the time and the guard 34 and strip 3i of an adjacent grate-bar during the rest of the operation, these positions being indicated by |3a and I31) of Fig. 7 the positions beingdotted. The pile wire |3 itself does not move but the grate reciprocates vertically as stated.

Referring again to Figs. 2 to 6, I will refer to the operations indicated in those figures and to the ones indicated in Figs. 7 to 9 toshow their relation. The grate 5A is in its lowest position and the wire |3is in the upper guard 35 at the start of the loop, see Fig. 8. A thread 1 between grate-bars is lifted by the jacquard lifting board and as it rises, passes over the edge 42 of the guard 35, which edge moves the thread laterally so that when it reaches its upper position a it is parallel to the wire l3, see Fig. 8. This position corresponds to a in Figs. 2 and 3. The grate 5A then moves to its upper position and the Wire |3 then occupies thelower guard 34, the position being indicated by |3b of Fig. 7. At the same time that the wire l3 changes relative position the thread 1 follows the path indicated by the arrow 43 in Fig. 7. The thread now lies on the other side of the wire I 3 in the position indicated by b of Fig. 4. The jacquard lifting board releases thetension and the thread is pulled downwardly by the lingo-weight I5 (see Fig. 1) until it has reached the position 1 of Fig. 9 which is the same as c in Fig. 4.

The grate then descends and the wire occupies its original relative position in guard 35, see |3a of Fig. 7. At the same time the thread retraces the path indicatd by the arrow 43, so that it is now on the same side that it started on, the position being that shown by e of Figs. 5 and 6. The weft H is shot through and the loop beat up tight as shown in Fig. 6. The thread I then is ready to move to its upper position a. In these movements the thread is moved up by the jacquard means, over by the cam surfaces of the grate, down by the jacquard, and under by the cam surfaces.

When the thread is'passing from one side of the wire to the other, the shoulders 32 and 33 (see Fig. '7) serve to guide the thread and start it on the edges of the guards 34 and 35. The loop cycle and operating means with respect to one thread is the same for all and the desired pattern is made by selecting the right threads 7 for that purpose by the jacquard operation.

I will now describe some of the details of the preferred forms of pile wires.

The wires l3 used in forming the loops M are of a novel construction and require only the use of suitable inserts to change their size for differentdepth rug piles. Referring to Figs. 11 and 12,'the wire l3 consists of two thin metal sections and 5| soldered together at 52 with a separator 53 a short distance back of the joining of the two sections. Section 50 is considerably longer than 5| and forms the finger 49 of the wire |3. Another separator 54, Fig. 15, is inserted at the rear of the wire between 50 and 5|, the three parts being held together by clip 44, see Fig. 16. This separator 54 has a semi-circular notch 55 of larger diameter than a similar notch 56 in end parts 59 and 5|. These end parts are enlarged to about the same shape as separator 54 of Fig. 15. This is indicated in Fig. 11. When the parts are assembled there is a circular trough provided between these end parts of 55 and 5| in which the cutter l9 runs (see Fig. 24). The semi-circle 55 of part 54 forms the bottom of the trough.

A sheet metal insert 51, Fig. 14, may be provided to increase the size of the wire. This metal insert 51 has parallel sides forming an eye 58 and one side 59 extends beyond the joining and forms a tongue 6|). When the insert is slipped over the end of the wire I3 the finger 49 of the wire passes through the eye 58, as indicated in the dotted position of Fig. 13. The end of the insert fits into the slot 5| of the wire I3 and the tongue 60 drops into the slot between the separator 53 andthe. junction 45 of 50 and 5|,s ee

It may be preferable to use an insert of the type indicated by 62 in Fig. 1'7, where the thickness is added to the bottom rather than the top of the wire. In using this insert, the separator 54 is not used as the insert 62 is a single piece of metal and forms the separator. Shoulders 63 and 64 cooperate with separator 53 when the insert is in use, the parts being secured by the clip 54. as in the previous assemblies.

In Figs. 19 to 23 is indicated still another type of wire. The body .35 is similar in shape to 54 of Fig. 15. the width however being equal to that of the wire i3 previously described, and all one piece. In addition to the slot BI is provided a slot 56 slightly longer and more forward on the wire. An insert 87, as indicated by Figs. 20 and 21, is made to cooperate with the slot 5| to form a Wire 68 similar to wire l3 but with a T-shaped end 69. An insert 19 having an eye H to take and cooperate with slot 66, has a tongue 72 which will just fit into the space 13 of 67, giving an assembly as indicated in Fig. 23.

As indicated in Fig. 25, the tip 69 of wire 38 is given a slight twist 14 which helps to guide the wire as the grate reciprocates. In some types of weaving it may be preferable to put a double twist on the end as indicated by 15 in Fig. 26. In Figs. 27 and 28 are shown a single twist l6 and double twist 11 as applied to a wire having a straight tip.

Referring to Fig. 24, the loops of thread M are cut as they come in contact with the rotating wheel l9. This cutter I9 is of very thin metal and rotates between parts 53 and 5| in the trough formed by the circular cuts 55 and 56. Spacing washers 18 are provided between successive cutters along the shaft 19 which is geared to the bottom shaft of the loom.

In operation the wires l3 are resting on the 1' top of the fabric and are prevented from moving forward as the carpet is reeled forward by spiked roller l8 (see Fig. 1). A T-iron 80 has bolted to it a rectangular member 8| which fits loosely in slot 82 of wire l3. The iron 83 is in turn bolted to bar 83 which is secured to each side of the loom. The Wires, being secured loosely, can be arranged for any spacing of grate-bars 2| for different types of weaves.

The grate 5-A may be operated in any of several manners, one of which is indicated in Fig. 30 where an eye 84 is bolted to the frame 26 and connected by the chain 85 to the sprocket 86. This sprocket is keyed to shaft 85' which ".is rotated by lever 81. A cam 88 on bottom shaft 89 transmits motion to roller 93 of lever arm 9|. Lever arm 9| rotates in shaft 92 which passes from one side of the loom to the other, and adjustable rod 93 transmits this motion to lever 81. The position of the rod 93 is indicated in Fig. 1. I plan to have several such operating means as shown in Fig. 30 spaced across the loom to take care of the weight of frame 26.

In weaving tapestry and the like, instead of a continuous 1001a beingfcrined around theiwire the thread'is passed over the wireanddownithe weft shot through andthe fabric beateri -up: The cord is then returned up the same side it came down and across the wire in the opposite direction and dow'n. The Weft is again shotthrough, the fabric beaten, and the operation repeated. Such a" weave is indicated in Fig. 29.

Recalling the description given as to the operation of the grate -'--A in making straight loops, every time the grate 5-A changes from its upper to its lower position the thread 1 crosses either below or beneath the wire; on the upstroke of the grate5- -A the thread 1 goes from left to right and vice versa. In the normal operation the grate 5'-A-moves upward when thethread 'l is at its highest position and downward when the thread I is at its lowest position. By timing the movement of thegrate 5-A so that it moves only when the thread is at its highest position, the thread will merely move back and forth across the wire. In this manner the thread will be hooked under the weft and back over the wire again as is desired for the tapestry weave.

The advantages of my improvements above disclosed will be clear" to one skilled in the art of weaving pile fabric. A particular advantage which appeals to me is in the means for guarding the ends of the pile wires which are suspended between the grate-bars andmanipulating the pile threads to form the loopsloy the vertical movement of the grate-bars so as to give individual manipulation to each thread as it is wound on the wire. There is by this means much less possibility of error in the movement of the threads to the right positions and much less chance of threads breaking. Further advantages are found in the details and convenience of the structural parts.

What I claim is:

1. In a loom construction, a vertically reciprocable device having closely spaced vertically arranged guide bars in the form of a grate, a series of pile wires on which loops are formed, said'wire's having free'ends extending between the bars of said grate, pockets having cam surwhich loops are-formed with pile warp; threads,

each of said-pile wires having one end resting on the woven fabricof the loom and the other arrea s-w:

end; freely suspended betweenbars. of a thread: guiding device,uin combination with, a vertically reciprocable thread guiding device havingaseries' of closely spaced vertical guardv barswith means i to constantly contact each ,pile warp thread adjacent its'pile wire and camsuriaces on said guard bars, operable independently of thejpile wires to shift the threadstransversely of the pile wires.

3. In. a loom construction a pile thread guiding device in the form of a vertical grating having composite guide and cambars therein, each bar comprising acenter portion running from top to bottom of the grating and oppositely disposed offset portions along the sides-0f the center portion to act as cam guides for the threads, one for the upper part of the grating and one for the lower part, the upper and lower cam guide portions of adjacent bars being arranged in slightly overlapped relation with a transverse space between them whereby avertical recipro cation of. the grating may cause each pile thread to be guided first by the cam'portion of one bar andthen the cam portion of an adjacent bar for lateral shifting of thethread and the center portion of each bar may contact a pile wire to hold it in position, for the guided pile thread to make loops thereon.

4-. In whom construction a series of flattened pile wires on which loops are made in theweavingoperation, said wires being located in'the loom so that their ends extend in freely. suspended position rearwardly and a vertically reciprocable guard frame for the ends of said wires, said frame having flattened guard plates vertically arranged adjacent each wire and adapted to guide the thread at one side of each wire in the loop forming operation, the guard plates being extended and bent laterally to cover the ends of the wire so that the thread does not contact the endof said wire during the loop forming operation.

5. In a loom construction a series of pile wires, said wires beinglocated in the loom so their ends extend in freely suspended position rearwardly and a vertically reciprocable guard frame into which the ends'of said wires extend, said frame having guard plates vertically arranged on each side of each wire and adapted to independently guide the threads at the sides of the wire without deflecting the wire or allowing the thread to contact the tip of said wire in the operations of forming the loops thereon in weaving and of ,taking out the loops when it is desirable to re- 

